How was this lit?

[Ron Michaels]

Hey everyone,

Could anyone provide me some insight on how this famous scene was lit? Main light source is an hmi I suppose? Lots of diffuse fill?
Thanks again,
Ron

 

[Adam Carboni]

Assuming this was shot on a soundstage set, mimicking the top of the mountain, I would guess that they're using some combination of space lights or zips creating the ambient light from above, and then perhaps a bank of 20K tungsten units (maybe some maxi-brutes through diffusion) as the 3/4 backlight/sunlight source.

On stage setups like this, it becomes cost-prohibited to go with daylight sources, so back then they probably used tungsten-balanced film or corrected daylight stock for tungsten sources, with filters.

That's my best guess. Maybe there is an ASC backlog article about this exact setup, though. Would be worth checking out. Hilarious film.

 

[Ron Michaels]

Yeah it is indeed a sound stage. The scene is supposed to take place on top of the "cliffs of insanity" (which in real life, are the cliffs of moher located in Ireland). This scene was shot in one of the sound stages located in the U.K., unfortunately I can't find any further info on it. So, a lot of diffuse light from directly above for ambient and a big key light source for the sun? If you look at the 2 images, it's interesting to note the key light changes position for the shot. Thanks again, love this sight!

 

[Ben Scott]

The greatest movie swordfight ever.

 

[Jacques Mersereau]

Notice the figures' shadow. It is singular and sharp = it comes from a single hard source that covers a large area.
Also notice that it changes angle in the two images shown.

 

[Christoffer Glans]

Notice the figures' shadow. It is singular and sharp = it comes from a single hard source that covers a large area.
Also notice that it changes angle in the two images shown.

I would say a hard source but with some diffusion diffusion, the shadows aren't sharp, they are a bit soft on the edges.

 

[Cal Hallows]

Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.

 

[David Mullen ASC]

I think it's a large lamp providing the sun effect and I don't think it is diffused in any way, just by the nature of being a large fresnel, there are limits to how crisp the shadow is going to be.

I'm not sure the Mole-Richardson 20K tungsten fresnel existed when the movie was made (probably not) and I'm not sure a 10K would have been powerful enough... but it wasn't unheard of back then to dust off a carbon arc "brute" for a job like that. Soft overhead lights were most likely 6K space lamps.